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Hey Everyone,My 1st post but I have been lurking for 3 months.Around Christmas I decided it was time to retire my Steinway upright(17 years) for a grand.I wanted to find something for about 25k and did so.I found a Steinway M (1917) that was about to be rebuilt.I jumped on it. Over the last 3 months i decided to educate myself more...YES i did this totally ass backwards.I live in Durham,NC I went to our local dealers.I played a lot of pianos that I have not played so much..I am a jazz pianist and its what I do for a living,so its pretty rare to play Bluthners,Bechsteins,Schimmels..ect...I normally get Steinway Ds..some I love and most I fight with for an hour and a half and then move on to the next city.I am a huge fan of Steinway but I did come to love most of the European pianos.I must admit this took time cause it really is a different sound for me.

Well I really did love the Faziol's I played and the dealer here sells them.If money was not an object I would have gotten one....one day for sure..So on Saturday my Steinway M arrived and the rebuild was great..The piano looked amazing.The action needed some more fine tuning but it was great.The problem is,its too small..It is powerful for a little piano,but there is little to no color.I was very disappointed but determined.So I went back to Ruggero piano and started going back to the pianos that caught my ear..I wanted to stay under 6 and a half feet so...So my contenders were Mason AA..Becstein 190..Schimmel K 189I played them for hours over the last few months but didnt want to pay extra..the plan would be to upgrade in a year or so..The Mason was nice and warm but after playing the German pianos,the Mason was the 1st to go..I loved the Bechstein,the action was amazing and the tone was warm and clear..There was just something about the Schimmel..So I traded in the Steinway and they delivering the Schimmel in 2 days..Dealing with Richard (the owner) was an absolute pleasure.In this process,we became friends.this is getting long,but I wanted to thank everyone for all the info I learned here!!all the best,Joey

Congratulations! Schimmel has a unique "airy" treble, and the best action (my favorite action). It was my close friend's favorite piano as well, his comment was among all the brands he has heard, Schimmel has the unique tone of "happiness", which he would love to sit back and hear someone playing it all day.

Hey Everyone,My 1st post but I have been lurking for 3 months.Around Christmas I decided it was time to retire my Steinway upright(17 years) for a grand.I wanted to find something for about 25k and did so.I found a Steinway M (1917) that was about to be rebuilt.I jumped on it. Over the last 3 months i decided to educate myself more...YES i did this totally ass backwards.I live in Durham,NC I went to our local dealers.I played a lot of pianos that I have not played so much..I am a jazz pianist and its what I do for a living,so its pretty rare to play Bluthners,Bechsteins,Schimmels..ect...I normally get Steinway Ds..some I love and most I fight with for an hour and a half and then move on to the next city.I am a huge fan of Steinway but I did come to love most of the European pianos.I must admit this took time cause it really is a different sound for me.

Well I really did love the Faziol's I played and the dealer here sells them.If money was not an object I would have gotten one....one day for sure..So on Saturday my Steinway M arrived and the rebuild was great..The piano looked amazing.The action needed some more fine tuning but it was great.The problem is,its too small..It is powerful for a little piano,but there is little to no color.I was very disappointed but determined.So I went back to Ruggero piano and started going back to the pianos that caught my ear..I wanted to stay under 6 and a half feet so...So my contenders were Mason AA..Becstein 190..Schimmel K 189I played them for hours over the last few months but didnt want to pay extra..the plan would be to upgrade in a year or so..The Mason was nice and warm but after playing the German pianos,the Mason was the 1st to go..I loved the Bechstein,the action was amazing and the tone was warm and clear..There was just something about the Schimmel..So I traded in the Steinway and they delivering the Schimmel in 2 days..Dealing with Richard (the owner) was an absolute pleasure.In this process,we became friends.this is getting long,but I wanted to thank everyone for all the info I learned here!!all the best,Joey

Congrats on a great instrument. I gotta ask, are you THE Joey Calderazzo?If so you're one of my greatest musical heroes. If not, well I like you anyway:)

Well it's an honor to have you here. I met you an number of years ago at the Top O' the Senator in Toronto when you were playing in Brantford's quartet. I was just starting out then and you were really kind and supportive. Thanks for that. Ps. Bri's Dance on Haiku is still one of my all time favorite solo piano tracks. (Ok I'm gonna stop gushing now:)Cheers,Adrean

ha,thanks Norbert..i was thinking of buying a clavinova after reading that post!!!Its all good..I did some research and feel that the K series is very good...and Richard Ruggero was a huge help in this process..it was a tough choice between the Schimmel and the Bechstein A 190 but I think I made a good choice..I think I will be very happy..and then I will most likely buy a Fazioli in the next 5 years..I played the 6 foot Fazioli the other day and it really blew me away..I would get bigger but it was amazing ..

well the piano arrived and I am thrilled..everyone is sleeping but I am playing very quietly!!!.Honestly I never knew pianos could sound like this..As I told Richard,I LOVE Steinways cause it was what I was used to.Its basically the only piano I play on the road. Every now and then I get a great one and its heaven but most of the time I am just avoiding the bad octaves..I cannot begin to tell you how happy I am to be able to play the entire piano..It sounds really good to amazing through out the entire keyboard..I have always been a huge fan of the tenor area in Steinways and was somewhat concerned about not having that at home..well after a few hours I can say I am fine..Its really nice to HEAR everything I am playing so clearly.. I almost feel a little naked!! I do plan on doing some recording with this piano so we will see..Joey

What a pleasure to have you here and add your vast experience to our threads. You bought a great piano and you should enjoy it until you find your "dream". The Schimmel and Fazioli seem to have a similar sound. To me it's a more "fundamental" sound, very pure and clean. Certainly different than a Steinway D. I was wondering if you noticed a difference overall of NY Steinways vs. Hamburgs as you have probably played many of both.

Hey Swarth,yes there is a big difference..in some cases Hamburgs are closer to other European pianos than NY Steinways..I have played the Schimmel all day and already I am starting to get a sound on it..The thing I love about Steinway is that 3 dimensional sound.I love the middle of those(B and Ds mostly)..But I can honestly say I love the sound of the Schimmel and I agree its almost like a baby Fazioli..I dont miss anything

I tried lately RX3, C3, Estonia 190 and a Schimmel SP189T not the newer K series but it was the sound and touch that are the most appealing to me so far.

Do you know if they did some drastic improvements between the SP189T and the newer 189K? I saw that there is not a C series of the 189 so my hopes are that the craftsmanship on this older series is comparable?

Alain,I have no idea about the older models..Honestly I dont ever recall playing a Schimmel in my career. I am so in love with this piano.Since Thursday I think i have played it for 12 hours..Everything sounds so good on it..The action is really great.I really dont know too much about pianos,I am learning.I do know what I like..I thought the Estonia was really good,but not like the Bechstein A or the Schimmel K..I am curious to try the shigeru K..But I could not be happier(unless it was free!!!)

Joey,What's very exciting is that a jazz player like you endorse this piano for all type of playing. Listening to some store "experts", you'd think that those pianos are really made for classical music (i.e. sound better with classical pieces, whatever it means).Being French therefore snob and vain, I almost want to believe this kind of things but you made my choice so much simpler. Merci beaucoup!

yeah Marty,Thats kinda what I think.I started out on classical music and switched to jazz when I was 15.I did go back to it in my early twenties .I took lessons with a guy in between touring with Michael Brecker.It was very hard to do both,due to the amount of practice it takes to play classical music.Jazz is hard enough as well..Yesterday i did pull out some things and stumbled through them..Ravel,Brahms,Chopin..The piano really shines..It works for jazz as well. I like it well the sound "pops" out of the piano.It did it on the Bechstein and on the Schimmel.I played a Bosie that I did not like as much,(well at all) for jazz..I am so used to Steinways that this is really a great change..Everything sounds so crisp and clear/clean and warm...This piano also has a very good dynamic range,I think thats why I like it for Jazz..

Well,I am not such a fan of Oscars stuff on the Bosey..He plays great but I could have used a bit more grit from the piano.I do think they sound elegant,and I have performed on them and enjoyed them..BUT it would not be in my top 3 pics for concert or home..thats just me...hmmm so what would be my top 3 then..FazioliHamburg SteinwayMy Schimmel!!!!!!lol